The Accidental Hero

The Accidental Hero is a multi-media one-man show about a WWII American officer who miraculously liberates the Czech villages of his grandparents. It's a true story written and performed by his grandson, Patrick Dewane. Patrick's grandfather refused to talk about his service in the war. When he died, his basement yielded a treasure trove of typewritten accounts, photos, and rare film footage. Dewane brings this archival material to glowing life as an enthralling, humorous and heartwarming tale of miraculous escapes and astonishing coincidences. Dewane takes on a dozen different roles as he powerfully recounts his grandfather's journey from Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge, and the end of WWII. In the last week of the war, Konop's story turns away from a soldier's survival tale to something from mythology. He discovers his lost identity, embraced by the tribe he never knew. Like Luke Skywalker, Konop thought he was just fighting the Evil Empire, in this case the Nazis. But unlike Skywalker, this story is true. His was an epic homecoming. As he freed the Czechs, they liberated him.